


I've Got You Under My Skin

by MyHappyHobby



Series: Aristeia Clarke [1]
Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Far Cry 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26365798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyHappyHobby/pseuds/MyHappyHobby
Summary: Aristeia Clarke finally did it. She finally pissed Jacob off. All it took was making sure that the Deputy got away. She was gone. Now all that was left was to deal with the consequences.
Series: Aristeia Clarke [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916059
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is a short story I wrote. I'm breaking it up into two chapters. I think I'm also going to make this part of a series. This is technically a song fic story. "I've got you under my skin" by Frank Sinatra. Please enjoy!

“I thought you were weak, but not stupid. Yet here you go and do a stupid thing.” The journalist couldn’t help but smile at his words. He wasn’t wrong. She was fucking weak compared to him, and she just did a foolish thing concerning her safety. 

“Are you going to feed me, Jacob? Or do you enjoy watching me starve?” she quipped back. The brunette stood as gracefully as she could from the only dry spot left in her cage. It wasn’t graceful at all. Jacob had already limited her food again. Everything seemed light and far away. Her cage was different from the old one he had her in. Whether that was due to his men throwing her in the first cage they saw, or Jacob wanted her in this one for his mind games. The one she had before was small. Sure, some were smaller than others, but hers? It felt like it must have been for a bear. It was more likely just built to hold multiple people, but Aria never had others. It was always just her in this sicking big cage. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see other captives jolt at her tone. One could argue that they knew better than to raise Jacob’s ire. 

Aria would’ve rolled her eyes if Jacob wasn’t in front of her. Did they expect anything different from her? She always gave Jacob this tone. Every damn time. It was the only way to fight against him. She was weak. He could push her over with a flick of his finger. She might not be strong, but she was good with words and damn all to hell if she was going to let him take that from her. If she did, then he would win. So, she talked. Talked back, told stories. Did anything and everything to talk even if there were consequences. Which it always did, but never as bad as this. Talking hurt. Her throat felt like fucking sandpaper. Twenty-four hours without a fucking drop of water.

“Where is she?” Straight to the point. Oh, he was definitely pissed off at her. Usually, there was a cat and mouse game with them before he got down to whatever business he had with her. Whether that was getting information or her becoming a guinea pig for an experiment. Aria didn’t mind the games. It kept her alive. It kept him interested in her. If Jacob lost interest, she’d be dead as a doornail. Her head tilted to the side, and the smile on her face relaxed a bit. Like it was no longer an act. He didn’t find the Deputy. It worked. The deputy actually left. 

“I don’t know. I didn’t exactly give her a map.”

“And why would you go do a thing like that?” He said, unlocking the door to her cage. Aria expected him to send in his wolves. That was what always happened when he opened the door. She had some deep scratch marks on her legs that, by some miracle, never got infected. But that didn’t happen. Jacob stepped in, his boot squishing the mud that was the ground of her cage. That single step caused her eyes to widen. This couldn’t be happening. Jacob _never_ came in. The cage was her space. He never invaded it. He never invaded any of his captives' cages. For one, they were disgusting as shit. Literally. If he wanted her, he’d have her come to him. But the fact that he was stepping into her space, well, Aria was pretty sure she was going to die. If there was a question if Jacob was mad, this was it. He was furious. Her hazel eyes darted everywhere. The guards weren’t around. No chosen or judges were anywhere in sight. It was just Jacob, her, and the useless googling eyes of the other captives. Aria started to take a step back, trying to keep a steady even space between them. She was barely managing not to fall on her fucking ass as she did so. 

“Because-”

  
“Ah. Now, Aristeia, I think you know lying would be a _terrible_ thing to do right now.” She winced as Jacob, in one swift motion, took his gun out of his holster and cocked it. Aria was in such a state; she barely even registered that Jacob used her first name.

“You needed her,” Aria said quickly. “You and Joseph needed her for something. No deputy, no apocalypse.” Aria’s words muddled as words almost landed on top of one another as she tried to get farther away from Jacob. He wasn’t allowing it. Not one fucking bit. With every step she made, he made a bigger one. He just kept advancing till she eventually ended up in a corner, with Jacob closing the distance with every step.

“What did you tell her?” Jacob demanded. Jacob was intimidating. Beyond intimidating. Despite all her bravado, she couldn’t deny how scary he was. The fact that he was taller than her didn’t help it one bit. Sadly Aria only sat at 5’3, so it always felt like Jacob towered over her. Maybe because he did. Her mind was scampering, trying to find a recent memory where he was _this_ close, and it didn’t go poorly. No, it always went badly. Always. The brunette could feel herself starting to sink to the floor, but a hand stopped her. Jacob’s calloused hand grabbed her muddy shirt and just simply held her against the bars. He was barely putting any effort into it. A tsk left his lips before pulling ever so slowly to make sure she was standing. “Are you going to make me repeat myself?”

“She was putting more lives in danger by being here.” Aria spat the words out of her mouth as quickly as she could. She was still not looking directly at Jacob, but he didn’t force it either. Perhaps he knew well enough by now that if he did her answer might be complete mush and incomprehensible. However, she did manage one glance at him. The look he gave her as if he was waiting for her to catch a glimpse of him. More. He wanted more. And just a fucking look was all that was needed to prod her. “By being here, she was putting more lives in danger. More would die, and it felt like she was falling further down the rabbit hole. All those deaths weren’t getting her any closer to you. To Joseph. She would lose.”

“No direction?”

“I took her to the garage, hotwired one of your trucks, and sent her off. That’s it.” It was now that Jacob gently lifted her chin to look at him as he pushed the gun into her thigh Fuck. FUCK! 

“And do you want to tell me why you stayed behind?” The question got an immediate whine from Aria. She did not want to get shot. 

“Please I-”

“You are trying my patience, Aristeia.”

“Someone had to stay behind. Someone had to distract. I-I’m her sacrifice.”

“How very noble of you.” The gunshot and Aria’s scream filled the air. They didn’t last long as she was silenced by Jacob lodging his knee into her stomach and then finally slammed her head against the metal bars. It was quick and with the precision that only came from a professional. Aria fell to the muddy ground instantly. She was barely holding on to consciousness as she watched Jacob’s blurry figure take out his radio and started shouting into it.

\----

Three weeks. Two weeks of nothing. No food. Barely any water. No contact. Jacob did everything in his damn power to deprive her of everything. When she woke up, she was not in her usual cell. Aria wasn't in a cage at all. It was a room. A very bright concrete room with nothing more than a stupid bucket. A basement. It was definitely a fucking basement. The lead pipes and familiar scent gave it away. Every so often, the pipes would hiss, but other than that, that was the only sound she ever heard. Three weeks of fucking solitary before the door swung open with Jacob’s silhouette standing in the doorway. Three weeks without seeing another human being does strange things to a person. Half of her didn’t believe he was real; the other half wanted to grab him and not let go. Not let go of Jacob _fucking_ Seed. What a fucking trip. Aria barely got a chance before one of the chosen ran in and put a cloth over her nose and mouth, and just like that, she was out. 

Aria groaned as she started to come around. Everything ached. _Everything_. Ironically this was nothing new. Every time she woke up, her body ached. For water. For food. For anything. A symptom of waking up hungry day after day after day after day. It was only after her vision settled that she noticed that things were different. There were no walls around her. The ground wasn’t cold either. It was...dry? Real dry. Dirt? Far off she could see the sun shine on something that made her wince. A metal fence? It felt so far away. She blinked. Fuck, it was far away. Was she back in her cage? When did things get so big? As her hazel eyes narrowed at the fence, she could see some Chosen on the other side of the fence. _Fence_ . It was definitely a fence. It didn’t look like the bars of her cage. Well, that didn’t bode well. Her hands began to dig a bit into the ground. Strange how being deprived of water makes you hyper-aware of the feeling of things. Like how the ground felt. Dry and yet not. Like it was recently dug up. But the ground was not what held her mind. Just a couple feet away was a gun. A simple handgun not too far away from where she was. Her head tilted to the side. What the fucking hell? A gun. A fucking gun, just on the ground? Why was it here? It couldn’t be loaded. Why would Jacob give her a loaded gun? It was only logical to check, but before Aria could even reach for it, she started to hear a very familiar song. A song she knew perfectly. **I’ve got you under my skin.**

“You know Aristeia; I think I’m going to keep your phone. I think you’re the first one I’ve found that has good taste.” she heard Jacob say as she whipped around to see him standing above her. **I’ve got you deep in the heart of me.**

“Where did- I didn’t bring-”

“You didn’t say it at the time, but you knew _exactly_ why you didn’t tell her to go get help. Because you were unsure how far our reach was. You are a fucking smart one. You don’t know shit about Montana, but you didn’t tell her to get help. You told her to run.”

“She-” 

“She could’ve run right to the police. To _Nancy._ ” Aria bit her lip as she finally stood. Her balance and everything was shaky, but she stood. Shit. This was, well, it wasn’t good. It was the exact opposite of good. Jacob had her phone. The phone she left in Missoula. Specifically, in her hotel room. Bad didn’t even cover the scenario. Jacob was standing on some viewing platform with her phone in his hand. It wasn’t terribly tall but would take a bit too long to climb. Not that she could or would even attempt to climb it. She’d probably get shot before she made it to him. It was built quite well, with a ledge that had a bowl of fruit. Wait, fruit? Why the fuck did he have fruit? “A month of starvation and a gunshot wound, and you _still_ have the audacity to LIE to me.” 

“I didn’t-” Aria didn’t get a chance to respond before watching Jacob push a body over the edge. Pratt. She would recognize that matt of hair anywhere. Aria didn’t even hesitate to run to Pratt’s side as fast as she could. **So deep in the heart, you’re a part of me.**

“Pratt! Deputy, look at me. Wake up!” Aria’s voice was panicked. Pratt looked worse. So much fucking worse than her. At least, he looked worse than she felt. How the fuck? Sure, her hair looked just as bad. Hell, her thigh hurt like hell, and she would eat anything right now, but she didn’t look like Pratt. She didn’t look tortured. His skin was almost purple by the amount of bruise on his face. They were both fucked up in this arena. This arena..oh no. Only one thing ran across her mind as things started to click in place. _Oh fuck._

“One of you is going to die,” Jacob said so very calmly. Aria wasn’t sure why she was so surprised at how calmly he talked. It wasn’t like she didn’t see the death he caused, but it did. She stepped away from Pratt slowly. Who knows what Jacob could have told him beforehand, or maybe he had given him something. **I’ve got you under my skin.**  
“Pratt. Look at me. We don’t have to do this. I’m unarmed.”

“What do we do?” Jacob shouted.

“Cull the herd,” Pratt said almost automatically as he stood. There were no signs that he was going to kill her...yet. 

“We don’t have to do this. Listen to me! We can get out of this. We can still get out of this. You and me. It’s still-”

“Not anymore. You screwed it up for Peaches, Aristeia. He could’ve left with our dear old deputy.” **I tried so hard not to give in.**

She could almost hear Jacob smiling at her silence. But for once, he stayed silent as well, and she knew why. Both of them were looking at Pratt. He was waiting in anticipation while she was waiting in fear. How fast was Pratt’s brain going to work? 

“...I could’ve left?” he repeated slowly. **I said to myself that this affair it never will go so well.**

“No.” Aria started calmly. “You couldn’t. Jacob would have found you instantly. He-”

“Dear, oh, dear. It looks like she didn’t trust you to go back into society, Peaches.” 

“Aria…” Pratt started to stand. **But why should I resist baby, when I know so damn well.**

“Staci, you need to listen to _me_. Not him. There’s no-”

“You told her to go! What about-”

“You told her that she shouldn’t have come for you!” Aria shouted back. It was like Jacob and the audience had disappeared. “I don’t fucking know what Jacob’s done to you. You fucking shave him with a knife! I-”

“And she would be fine?!? What if she hears that song again?!?”

“So have her stay and go right into Jacob’s plan? Cause that’s a fucking brilliant idea, Pratt. Let’s just let the world burn! Or did you want to play the big fucking hero again? ”

“You,” he started with a finger pointed at her. “This is your fault. Fucking reporter.” Pratt said with a strength she hadn’t heard from Pratt in a long time. **That I’ve got you under my skin.**

Aria forgot that someone could move that fast. That someone like Pratt could still move that fast. Then again, he didn’t look starved. Tortured to hell, but he didn’t move like his body was screaming for anything. Hell, he still had muscles on him. Somehow, Aria moved out of the way. Barely. Fucking _barel_. It helped that Pratt moved more like a bear than a rabbit. Aria did feel slower. Even taking a single step hurt. Her body was craving for something. Anything. God, she felt like she was going to pass out any second.

“You knocked me out!” he shouted. 

“You were mumbling like a fucking madman! Not to mention you panicked the instant you heard the alarms! You could’ve alerted the guards or Jacob. The last thing we needed was Jacob to become aware of what was happening.” Aria hissed. 

“And-” Jacob said so very smoothly. Aria could feel her blood both boil and freeze at the one word. A month. It only took him a month to figure out everything. Maybe even less. Everything without her saying a word to him. Oh, how she hated him. Aria watched as Pratt’s eyes widened at Jacob’s interject.

“And what!”

  
“And...we needed time. The alarms were going, Pratt. I couldn’t get her a car without a distraction. You’re the trained one. Who would assume the fucking reporter from the city got farther than you. The second they saw you, they would have gotten Jacob.” Aria said. **I’d sacrifice anything, come what might.**

How Jacob knew that she used Pratt as a distraction, Aria could only guess. The entire night itself was an adrenaline rush for her. She was a journalist and knocked out a deputy of the fucking law with a flashlight. It had to be done. It had to. They didn’t need Jane to keep mowing down people. They needed the fucking army. Either way, Joseph seemed to think Jane was the key to his apocalypse. That’s what all her observations led to. Joseph _needed_ Jane. Aria could not and would not let that bastard win. Jane was just as shocked by Aria’s actions as she was. 

_“What are you-”_

“ _Getting you out of here. Come on.” Aria’s voice was strained, but she still gave a hard tug on Jane’s arm as she almost dragged the Deputy out of the office and towards the garage._

_“What about-”_

_“He’ll be fine. Jacob likes him too much.”_

_Half of her couldn’t believe she said that. Jacob likes him too much. What kind of life was she making Pratt live? She knew Jacob enough to know that it would not go well for him. He might even die. He definitely would if she was wrong about Jacob liking him. Deputy Jane Smith was quiet as the journalist dragged her across the compound with almost military precision. The fact that all the guards seemed to be going in a different direction was helping. Towards the office. Towards Pratt. “What are we doing, Aria?”_

_“I’m getting you out,” she whispered as she slowly opened the garage door. As she thought there was no one except for a truck. Aria dropped Jane’s hand as she made her way to it. Fuck. No keys._

_“What do you mean ‘out’?”_

_“I mean you are leaving Hope county,” Aria said as if it was a fact as she opened the car and began to try and hotwire it. It had been many years since she had done this. Usually, it was her brother that hotwired the family car._

_“I’m not-”_

_“Yes, you are. You are just going to drive and not come back. Have you not found it strange that Jacob hasn’t killed you? Fucking hell, Joseph visited you and didn’t still kill you. We watched a video of him stabbing someone’s eyes out for being a traitor. You think after the trouble you’ve caused he’s not keeping you alive for a reason?!?” she felt like screaming, but thankfully the car did that for her. Aria opened the door and waited for Jane to climb in, but she just stood there. “Jane. He’s planning something. I don’t know what, but it involves you and it fucking feels like everything is going to plan for him and- and that can’t happen.”_ **For the sake of having you near.**

She was getting better. Everyone could see it. Everyone, except for Pratt. He just kept blindly charging at her in new fits of rage. Aria couldn’t blame him. He was nothing but emotion since being in Jacob’s control. His control was getting worse, as well. That last attempt, he went face first in the dirt. “Pratt...we don’t have to do this. We can just sit. You don’t have to listen to Jacob.” **In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night.**

“No. He won’t like that.” Pratt muttered. For once, he was standing still. Good. An opportunity. Aria took a step closer. **And repeats repeats in my ear.**

“Pratt. What about what you want? What do you want to do.” Aria asked quietly. “I’d like to go home. To Chicago. Have you ever been? To Chicago?” **Don’t you know little fool, you can never win.**

“...is it nice?” **Use your mentality, wake up to reality.**

“Yeah. I got a nice apartment on Lake Shore drive. In a high rise. I used to have a cat.” **But each time I do, just the thought of you.**

“I liked cats. What kind?” **Makes me stop before I begin.**

“Short-haired. Her name was Banana.” Aria said with a smile as she stepped closer. She was almost close enough to touch his shoulder. 

“Funny how we name our pets after food.” Jacob said, and immediately Pratt flinched and shrunk away from her grasp. Fuck! She was so close! So fucking close to getting through too him, but Jacob just had to say one thing, and all that work disappeared in a second. **Because I’ve got you under my skin.**

**“** Peaches. What do we do with the weak?” Jacob’s voice was so casual yet so authoritative. How was that possible. No, it wasn’t casual. It was confident. He was fucking confident at what he did to Pratt. **I would sacrifice anything, come what might.**

“Cull them. We call the cull weak.” Pratt’s voice was shaking. **For the sake of having you near.**

“You don’t-” Aria started to shout. **In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night.**

“Who is weak?” Jacob interrupted. Fuck. Pratt’s eyes were glazing over. He wasn’t even looking at Aria. 

“Me.”

“Tell me her name, Peaches. Tell me about her.” 

“Pratt, you don’t have to tell him a damn thing. Listen to me!” Aria couldn’t help but shout. The shouting had to make him listen to her. “You don’t owe him a-”

“Aristeia Gabriella Clarke. Former Journalist for The Chicago Tribune.” Aria’s eyes dilated as she heard Pratt name her former employer. 

“Pratt! Stop! You need to stop talking now!”

“The marshall on the helicopter. Sheriff Whitehorse wasn’t happy. But she said something. Something that made him change his mind. Handed him a-” **And repeat how it yells in my ear**.

“Staci!” Aria pushed him hard into the ground. The push moved Deputy Staci Pratt, but he barely reacted. Aria on the other hand. It was like her deepest darkest secret had been told. It was by far not her deepest darkest secret, but it was close. It was dangerous information in the hands of Jacob.

“What is she?” Jacob said. **Don’t you know, you fool, ain’t no chance to win.**

“Weak. Vermin.” Pratt barely sounded like himself anymore. **Why not use your mentality, get up, wake up to reality.**

“And what do we do with the weak?” Aria had only seconds to register what was happening. Pratt didn’t say anything in response as he charged at her like a bull. They hit the ground hard. It was pure luck that she wasn’t knocked out at the impact. But Pratt’s hands were scrambling to go around her neck. She didn’t even think as she kicked him hard in the nuts before scrambling away, but she didn’t make it far. Pratt got a handful of her hair and pulled her to the ground. She let out a scream before planting her elbow in his stomach. She was stronger than she realized in this weak state of hers because it was just enough for him to loosen his grip on her and Aria whipped around to punch Pratt square in the jaw. He stumbled back. Aria took several steps back. Who knew when she would be able to do that again. He was a trained officer of the law. She was not. Fuck. She was going to die. **But each time I do, just the thought of you.**

“For fuck sake! Stop! I’m not a threat to you Pratt! Please!” **Makes me stop before I begin.**

“You are weak.” He muttered. Aria couldn’t tell if he was there anymore or if this was just Jacob’s conditioning. But every intelligent thought left her mind when she noticed that Pratt finally noticed the gun on the ground.

“No!” Aria screamed and ran. Ran as fast as she could. Everything else was a blur. Aria Wasn't exactly sure who reached the gun first. She was aware they were wrestling on the ground over it and very aware when she got shot. Aria let out a high pitched scream as Pratt shot her. If they both didn’t have their hands on the gun, he might have gotten a clean shot instead of shooting her in the shoulder. 

Unfortunately, what happened next is clear as day. Her scream bothered Pratt enough for him to loosen the grip. Aria didn’t hesitate to pull it out of his hand and into hers. And shot him. Again. And again. And again. When Pratt fell backward, Aria began to realize what happened. Four bullet holes in him, and she did it. No...more than 4. Six. The gun was still in her hand and was surprisingly steady as she sank to the ground and started to scream. Maybe due to the pain of being shot, but that was doubtful. She just killed Deputy Staci Pratt. **Because I've got you under my skin.**

“Choices, Aristeia. We all make choices.” Jacob’s voice kept getting louder and louder, but Aria couldn’t stop looking at Pratt’s body. His now dead body. By the time Jacob’s voice got close enough, it no longer felt like he was yelling, her screamings turned into semi-silent sobs. “You _chose_ to stay. You _chose_ to be the Deputy’s sacrifice.” Aria felt the gun being yanked from her hand. Her eyes followed the weapon as it left her hand. It went straight to his holster in such a quick and seamless motion. The gun. It was his? Aria’s thoughts suddenly stopped when Jacob roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. Aria couldn’t help but blink. It felt like she could barely focus on him. She couldn’t tell if he was frowning or not, but his grip definitely got harder. “You chose to sacrifice him. You knocked him out for my men to find so you would have time. I’m all fine with sacrifices, but you don’t get to go halfway. This was all you, Aristeia. Not me... _you_ .” **And I like you under my skin.**


	2. Aftermath

Aria jumped as the metal first aid kit was slammed on the table next to her. Well, it felt like it was slammed. The sound jolted her of whatever she was thinking about. It felt like her eyes were still red from crying. Aria couldn’t remember the last time she cried that much in her life. While it felt like only five minutes, it had been two hours since she shot him in reality. The last two hours felt like she could recall it perfectly and a blur at the same time. No one came for her. Jacob left almost immediately after, and the Chosen quickly removed Pratt’s body. Virtually at a scrambling pace. No one even came close to touching her till about ten minutes ago. Aria wanted to call it a rare mercy on Jacob’s part, but that didn’t seem possible. That couldn’t be possible. 

When they finally did drag her up from where she sat, Aria expected to be tossed back into her muddy home or back in the basement. She did not expect to be put in a chair in a place that was starting to become frighteningly familiar to her, Jacob’s office. It looked almost exactly like it did that night. Her eyes couldn’t help but wander to the spot where she knocked Pratt out with the dumb flashlight. He even gave it to her. Told her not to turn it on till he told her. He hit the main table before hitting the ground. Technically it was the table that knocked him out. Technically...probably. The table now had different maps spread out. Maps with writing. They were probably important and yet, she didn’t even care to look at them. Her hazel eyes lazily wandered to Jacob, who sat in a chair across from her. He was going through the first aid kit. “Why are you doing this?”  
“Finally found your voice, Kitten? I’ve been in the room for over an hour.” An hour? He had been in here an hour? Had she been in here that long? Longer? She swore she heard a small chuckle from Jacob as she was trying to search her memory yet was coming up blank. Did he give her anything to drink? No. Her lips still felt as parched as ever. There couldn’t be any bliss in her system. The memory was just...gone. She replayed events over and over again. They put her in here. Sat her down and then the clang of the first aid kit. Those happened right after each other. There was nothing in between, and yet she didn’t think he was lying. Jacob didn’t lie. He threatened he hurt, tortured, but he did not lie. Jacob didn’t need to lie. If he said he had been in the room for an hour, then he had been sitting there for over a fucking hour. Wait, kitten? 

It was now that her head snapped towards Jacob. Kitten? When had he given her a pet name? She couldn’t recall ever hearing it before. Ever. She could remember him calling her by her first name instead of her nickname, but never kitten. Kitten. Aria could feel her blood starting to turn into ice the more she thought about it. That wasn’t good. She knew it wasn’t good. Jacob wasn’t even paying attention to her reaction. He wasn’t even looking at her, just getting different tools out. 

“I-”

“You have a bullet in your shoulder.” His ice-blue eyes finally looked over at her. “Remove your shirt.”

Instead of a quick comeback or really anything out of her mouth, she attempted to scoot her chair back. The action was quickly stopped by Jacob pulling her chair closer, his face inches from hers. “Behave, Kitten. Or you can forget about eating tonight.”

Food? FOOD?!? Aria’s eyes lit up, and Jacob only smirked in response. He said nothing as he moved her hand to the bottom of her shirt. It was strange, this silent back and forth. He was dangling food in front of her face and probably something worse if she didn’t comply, but again, he was not forcing her. Choices. Aria started to raise her shirt but was stopped. Not by Jacob, or some sort of conscious telling her not to, but her shoulder. Aria wanted to scream. Her eyes darted to Jacob, who just stared at her with no emotion on his face that she could read. He just stared. The fucker. He wasn’t going to help. It would be so much easier for him to just cut it off her. But no. He wanted HER to do it, no matter the pain it caused her. Hell, he probably wanted her to be in pain, the bastard. After taking a deep breath, Aria took off her shirt, screaming the entire time. Only after it was off did Jacob do or say anything. His hand turned her head towards him. “Good.”

He lowered his eyes to her shoulder wound and pushed down. It didn’t take long for Aria to react. “Fucking hell Jacob!”

“You swear at me again, Kitten, and I can promise you you will not like the result.” Aria was having trouble remembering any time he threatened her so calmly. She was used to him threatening her with violence. Hell, she was used him being violent. However, he always had a smirking attitude about it. This calm attitude? Well, he might fucking shoot her again with that calm attitude. It was just like he was stating a fact. It probably was. Any time Jacob said anything, it was always to be taken seriously. Aria expected him to push again, but he didn’t. Jacob was waiting, staring at her. Was he waiting for her? Why was he waiting for her? Maybe the fact that her nails were digging into his skin? The second she realized, she let go. “Lean back.”

Aria leaned back in the chair, biting her lip as Jacob pushed the bullet wound with only his thumb. He would only give her glances now and again, clearly focused on his ‘mission’. She didn’t scream this time. Perhaps it was because she was prepared or afraid of his wrath. Who knows what she would yell at him. She breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped. She heard him give a soft chuckle. “You are fucking lucky, Kitten.”

She still didn’t say anything, but she could have sworn that she saw a frown flicker on his face before he touched her shoulder with his index finger and trailed across her skin to where her heart was. Aria couldn’t help but take a inhale of breath when his finger went slightly across her breast. She was only somewhat aware that she was only wearing her bra now. Her mind was such a mess. Yet strangely, she didn’t feel threatened by Jacob. At least not in that sense. Sure, he was threatening, and Aria didn’t doubt he could kill her in an instant if he wanted to, but she didn’t feel like he would take advantage of her. Jacob just didn’t have that look in his eye. He wasn’t John. The only reason her shirt was off because it needed to be off. “If Peaches shot here, it would have pierced your heart.”

Luck. She was alive because of fucking luck. God. He was going to kill her. Pratt was going to fucking kill her. Staci Pratt was a man of the law. He was supposed to protect people like her. Protect civilians from men like Jacob, and he was going to kill her in cold blood. Jacob brought her back into reality when he shoved a cloth into her mouth. There was only a second before the screams started as Jacob inserted some kind of metal instrument into her body. It took no time at all for Jacob to slam his hand over her mouth, muffling her even more. Her screams continued as he dug deeper and deeper into her skin. Aria wasn’t sure when it finally stopped. But when it did, her throat was sore, and her vision was blurry. The cloth was no longer in her mouth. It took a couple of seconds to see that Jacob was holding the bullet in front of her. The bloody bullet that was supposed to kill her, but didn’t. “And here I thought you were going to faint on me.”

‘I still might’ is what she would’ve said, but didn’t. She hated this feeling. Hated feeling like her voice was gone. Aria could only imagine how she looked. Her face was still puffy and red from Pratt’s and now her current tears. Her hand was clinging to Jacob’s shirt. Why the fuck was she clinging to Jacob. Her hazel eyes finally wandered to Jacob. “You could've made that easier.”

He only smirked as he shrugged off her grip easily. Jacob put the bullet down on the table and began to get the sutures ready. “You think I would make it easy on you?”

No. He wouldn’t. Jacob didn’t do mercy. She hissed as the needle went in her skin. “You have a funny way of punishing someone for lying.”

“Who said it was for that?”

“You would’ve let me die if it was for Jane. Unless Joseph wants me alive. I can imagine he’s not happy. You weren’t.”

“I told you to be careful about lying to me,  Aristeia .”

“And you still shot me.”

“And you still lied,” he said so casually as he finished up. Lied. She didn’t lie. She told him everything he asked. It wasn’t her fucking fault he didn’t ask her to tell him exactly everything there was. Then again, perhaps she should have known better. Aria winced as Jacob pressed his palm on her thigh, where he shot her. Fuck. Was a bullet still in her leg? “ _ That  _ was for lying.”

“....you promised food.”

“And more, Kitten. All in due time. But it’s not quite dinner yet.” With that, Jacob stood up and made his way to the door. Aria’s eyes watch him. There was so much she wanted to scream at him. How he made her kill him. It was his fault. Everything was his fault! How dare he. How dare he...how dare he keep her alive.

Three hours passed and still no Jacob. After an hour, she did finally try the door. It was locked. Of course, it was, he wasn’t an idiot. It was honestly a fool’s hope that he wouldn’t lock it, but Aria doubted she would’ve gotten far. She wasn’t a fighter, not to mention injured on top of that. Perhaps that’s why he left her here. Bullshit. She knew that’s why he left her here. Aria was surrounded by the knowledge that could end Jacob’s hold on this area. Numbers of men, Mission reports, maps of where they thought the Whitetails were located. And yet...useless. All useless. 

Nevertheless, Ara drowned herself in the documents. Read everything that wasn’t locked in a damn drawer. It was probably the reporter part of her kicking in. Absorbing any knowledge she could get her hands on. She didn’t even stop reading when Jacob re-entered the room. Her eyes didn’t even leave the paper as his footsteps continued until he was behind her. She ignored him until the smell hit her nose. 

Food. Cooked food. Aria dropped the paper she was reading and turned towards the food Jacob had in the usual stainless steel bowl, but it was different. It was cooked. Rice and some meat. But it was fucking cooked, and it smelled so fucking good. Aria didn’t even know she had slightly lunged across the table towards the bowl till Jacob spoke.

“Patience, Kitten. “ he sounded so smug as he took the food farther away from her.

“Please.” Oh, how she hated the begging tone in her voice. That bowl, she needed that bowl. “I’m tired of feeling hungry every waking moment. Please.”

“Tell me what you learned.“

“You had the outposts on a skeleton crew till Jane left. You  _ made _ them easy for her. You wanted her to kill. Get better. Stronger. There’s even some records on you planting information out there. Little spies that would lead her to the next outpost if she was taking too long for your liking.” Aria was rambling at the start, but the more she talked, the more confidence she was getting. Her eyes wandered to a map on the opposite wall. “You knew she was with the Whitetails. Jess was the big clue. Traveled with her constantly.” 

Aria’s voice slowly came to a halt. She was missing something. What the hell was she missing? What wasn’t she seeing? She read everything. They needed Jane to be stronger, but why? Sure, she had an idea that it had to do with Joseph, but then why condition her at all? He didn’t need to do that if he just wanted to make her better with practice. What wasn’t she seeing?

“Good. What else?” 

What else? What else could he want? She told him everything. Aria looked at Jacob. What was he doing? Where was he looking? Jacob was looking at her shoulder. Aria groaned. She knew what he wanted. He placed the bowl on the table closer to her. Honey. It was battered in honey.

“Never go halfway, and even if I fucking try, you won’t let me.”

With that, Jacob slid the bowl over to her, and Aria snatched it. God, it tasted so good. Heavenly. How could just rice and chicken taste so fucking good! 

“Careful, Kitten. That’s all you’re getting.”

Aria stopped immediately. This was it? She was almost done with it. It hadn’t even been ten minutes. “This isn’t even a full meal.”

“For you, it is.”

For her it was. Was this still him punishing her for getting the deputy out, or was it something else? No, it had to be something else. This was cooked food. Not raw or shitty, but well-cooked food. She ate more slowly now, trying to enjoy every last bit. It was just so fucking good.

“Are you going to give me a shirt?” 

“Can you put one on,  Aristeia ?” he asked, using her full name. There were things she still wasn’t quite sure about Jacob on. One was if he knew that she HATED her full name. Aria. She went by Aria. But right now,  Aristeia was better than kitten. 

“No”

“Then don’t ask questions when you know the answer.” He lifted her head with his hand, causing her to groan. To which he just smirked at her response. 

“You don’t shut off, do you?”

“I don’t-”

“I can see your brain working. You are shit at hiding it,  Aristeia . Not as sharp right now, but better than earlier. But that’s the curious thing about you. You never turn off. Even when starving, you don’t stop.”

“I don’t know what the hell-”

“Where have I been?”

“Jacob-”

“Come on, Kitten. You can eat the rest if you tell me.”

“Inside. You don’t have the smell of the trees, and you haven’t been to the cages. Otherwise, your boots would be caked in mud.”

“Still this damn sharp.” He smirked, letting Aria go back to her food.

“What happens now?”

“You earn your keep until The Father decides.” Aria couldn’t help narrow her eyes at him, and all Jacob did was smirk. He didn’t say a thing. He just waited. 

“I meant now…”

“You eat. We’ll have questions later. If you’re lucky, I might even let you sleep in a bed.” He said so casually. Like he was telling her the weather. He kept dangling everyday basics in front of her, and they felt like luxuries that Aria would do anything for. It had been months since she slept in an actual bed. For the past four months, she had slept on dirt or concrete. An actual bed? God, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

“I-”

“Are you going to turn down a warm bed, Kitten?”

“No, no,” she repeated with a bit more force. She was definitely not turning down a warm bed. “I just-”

“Eat and then questions.” 

Eat then, questions. He made her feel like a child. Do this, and you’ll get a reward. Is this how he got Pratt under his thumb. No. No, Pratt would’ve caved under John’s rule as well. So did Aria do? She ate until there was nothing left.

“Better?” he asked. Better? He was asking if she was better. This was new to her. When did Jacob actually check in on her? Jacob even seemed to be trying to see how she was feeling.  
“How bad was I?”

“Near Catatonic.” Ah. That bad.

“Better, then.”

“Good. Tell me your name.”

“ Aristeia Gabriella Clarke. I go by Aria.” She said with a breath. Aria didn’t even question why Jacob was asking. If she was near-catatonic, he did need her to repeat the information they both knew.

“And where are you from?”

Aria paused. Didn’t he know this? Pratt might have told him, but more likely, he looked it up. He knew who she was from the church. “New Mexico originally. The family moved to Chicago shortly after I was born.”

“Gabriella…”

Aria didn’t say anything at first. For some reason, Jacob said it differently than his brother John. John was a dick.

“My mother wanted it to be my name before she died. You can see how much my father cared about her wishes.” 

Jacob couldn’t stop smirking at her. Aria couldn’t decide if she hated it or not at this moment. Was she performing well, or was he smirking at something else?

“No lies, Aria?” 

“I believe you told me I still have a bullet in my leg to remind me what happens when I do lie to you.” Jacob seemed to smile at her answer. Did, did he just test her memory.

“Why so little food?”

“A necessity. Can’t have you getting sick with gorging yourself with too much of it.” Hm. It wasn’t exactly surprising that he knew that and she didn’t. He was the survival expert. “My turn. Any family?”

He was doing a better job than John in getting information out of her. It was like she was an open book. She would not lie to him. “...depends on who you ask.”

“I’m asking you, Kitten.”

“None I keep in contact with.” her voice was soft, and Aria could’ve sworn she saw Jacob hesitate. His lips didn’t move, but it felt like he had to stop himself. It was just the slight hesitation in his posture. Jacob took Aria’s right hand and gently started to massage it. It was odd. Very odd. Aria had known him for four months now, and his behavior still was boggling her mind. What the hell was going on? Was she really catatonic only two hours ago? Was there really no Bliss in her system? “One more question...where’s the safety on my gun?”

The second he said the word, she could hear the shots in her head. One. Pause. Then four more right after each other. Another pause, and then two more. She wasn’t even looking at Jacob anymore. Pratt was in front of her. Staring at her, glaring. He was bleeding from the holes in his chest. The holes she put there. She did that. He-

“ Aristeia …” she heard. It was Pratt’s voice. She was hearing Pratt. 

“It’s not my fault! It-you were attacking. You-”

“Where is it,  Aristeia ?”

“I-” What? What the hell was Pratt asking?!? Where was…

“....in my hand. It’s in my hand.” It was. The gun was in her hand. 

“And where’s the safety.”

“I-there was no...I just pulled.”

“That’s all you did?”

“You shot me! I was defending. What was-”

“Shhh. Close your eyes.” Pratt said with a calmness that sounded so unfamiliar, and then she felt it. A rubbing of her temples. It felt nice. “There we go, .now what’s your name?”

“ Aristeia. ..Gabriella...Clarke.” 

“What do you go by?”

“Aria.”

“Do me a favor then, Aria. Open your eyes.” When she did, Pratt was no longer there. Jacob was there. Not only was he there, but he was quite close to her. The tips of his hair were touching hers. Was he on top of her? What the hell. What was that? She blinked and reached to touch his face. He was there and this was real.  _ This was real? _ Aria frowned. Why did she feel pressure? Was Jacob sitting on top of her? He was. He wasn’t using his whole body weight. So was she on the floor? How’d she get here?

“Tell me your name.”

“Aria. My name is Aria.”

“Good,” he responded, but still didn’t move. Aria could hardly blame him, she was still trying to figure out what happened, and then the words just spilled out of her. 

“I wasn’t supposed to walk out of that pit.”

“No.”


End file.
